Ivory-bill stamps still available!

...but you may need to act quickly.

From "ivorybill.biz" here:

NOTE: All lowest available limited edition print numbers will be assigned to the earliest orders. So, if you want a low print number, order NOW! With an estimated 70 million people considering themselves to be "Birders" and tremendous positive reaction to this beautiful design, overwhelming demand is anticipated. A complete sell-out of all editions is expected. Special edition prints will go FAST and may become sold out at any time due to low supply.

IF Ivory-bills are confirmed?

More from Cyberthrush here.

Bobby Harrison's web site

The paperback version of The Grail Bird provided this new nugget from Tim Gallagher:

Another Web site of interest is bobbyharrison.com, which describes Bobby's latest adventures and lists his upcoming appearances across the country.

The site is here--to me, it seems a little light on detailed field notes and photographic documentation.

That site can also be accessed as "ivory-billedwoodpecker.com".

Deletions from the Eagle Optics site

With the Birdchick's departure from Eagle Optics, it looks like all of her IBWO stuff has been removed from their site.

All seven parts of "Sharon's Search for the Ivory-Bill" are still available via Google's cache here.

Ivory-bills tomorrow, but never Ivory-bills today?

From Cyberthrush here.

Remember last summer, when we were supposed to believe that convincing audio evidence would be released at the upcoming AOU meeting?

An excerpt from this article (dated Aug 2, 2005):

Another of those experts on Tuesday agreed with Prum.

“We were astounded. Yes, I totally believe, thank goodness, there are ivory bills,” Mark Robbins of the University of Kansas said in a telephone interview. “We are ecstatic. Once everybody hears these vocalizations, you can’t help but be convinced.”

Paperback "Grail Bird"

The paperback version of "The Grail Bird" contains a new afterword by Tim Gallagher, evidently written in late December 2005.

An excerpt:

...These rumors have since fueled a number of blogs and Web sites devoted to various conspiracy theories about the ivory-billed woodpecker rediscovery.

The conspiracy theorists range from people who think the rediscovery was something cooked up by scientists to get more funding for their pet projects to those who believe scientists have always known the bird existed and have kept it quiet for nefarious reasons--which sounds a bit like a plot from an episode of The X Files...

Hey Tim--specifically which blogs and Web sites are devoted to IBWO "conspiracy theories"?

Personally, I've never seen a "conspiracy" here--I think this fiasco likely began as massive foolishness.

I think Hanlon's Razor ("cock-up before conspiracy") probably applies.

Back to reality at Mallard Pointe?

Last October, it looked like Mallard Pointe Lodge was making a radical business change because of the alleged Ivory-bill rediscovery:

The ivory-billed woodpecker was spotted just a quarter-mile away from the 3,000-acre spread where Mallard Pointe, originally a duck hunting club, provided guides, dogs and open bars for hunters.

"We've set most of that aside and we have gone full force into bird watching," said manager Butch Turner.

Now check out the current Mallard Pointe web site, and note the lack of emphasis on the Ivory-bill.

I suspect that the unnamed "high-profile birder" never delivered on his purported boast last year that he could book "1000 spots with ease".